Spheno-orbital juvenile psammomatoid ossifying fibroma: a case report and literature review.

Ossifying fibroma (OF) is an uncommon benign fibro-osseous lesion. Based on its clinical, morphological, and radiological features, OF is further divided into cemento-ossifying fibroma (COF), juvenile psammomatoid ossifying fibroma (JPOF), and juvenile trabecular ossifying fibroma (JTOF). JPOF rarely involves the cranial base, with limited reports published on spheno-orbital JPOF. In this paper, we report a case of JPOF of the greater wing of the sphenoid bone and lateral orbital wall in an 11-year-old child and show a surgical video. Although rare, JPOF should be considered in the differential diagnosis of fibro-osseous lesions of the spheno-orbital region.

Endoscopic transnasal resection of optic pathway pilocytic astrocytoma.

PURPOSE: Optic pathway gliomas (OPGs) are low-grade neoplasms that primarily affect children. The management of OPGs remains controversial. Reports on the use of the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) in OPGs are extremely limited, and no such reports exist on its utility for pediatric OPGs. Here, we report our results and experience with OPGs treated with the EEA. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of OPG patients who were treated surgically via the EEA at our institutions from 2015 to 2017. Data on the demographics, clinical presentation, surgical complications, clinical outcomes, radiological imaging, and visual outcomes were recorded for each patient. RESULTS: Four cases were identified, with visual disturbances being the predominant complaint. The mean patient age was 15.5 years. Three cases showed normal preoperative hormonal profiles, but one patient had hypothyroidism. All tumors identified in this study were World Health Organization grade I pilocytic astrocytomas. Surgical complications included hypopituitarism in two patients, meningitis in two patients, cerebrospinal fluid leak in one patient, and transient diabetes insipidus in one patient. No patient experienced worsening neurological or visual symptoms postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Although our data are preliminary, the EEA provides a direct corridor to OPG with acceptable results in terms of tumor resection and visual outcomes. Hypothalamic-pituitary axis dysfunction remains a limitation of any treatment modality for OPGs and should be considered whenever possible. Definitive conclusions are pending as the learning curve of this approach is steep. Further work is needed to understand patient selection for such an approach.

Brainstem encephalitis. A diagnostic dilemma.

Brainstem encephalitis (BE) is a rare, severe, and potentially life-threatening inflammation of the central nervous system. Brainstem encephalitis has multiple etiologies, which vary in treatment and outcomes. The current literature is generally focused on the infectious causes of BE, while little is known about the other entities, including cases with inconclusive diagnoses. Additionally, the outcomes of BE are not well documented. We present a case of an 18-year-old male who presented with progressive symptoms of brainstem involvement. His clinical investigations, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, were normal; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed an enhancing medullary lesion, while tissue biopsy yielded no specific diagnosis. Multiple empirical treatments to address possible autoimmune and infectious processes were started with no significant improvement. He continued to deteriorate over a period of 12 weeks. Thereafter, following intensive supportive and rehabilitative care, he started to show slow signs of improvement.

Endoscopic Endonasal Resection of a Cavernous Malformation of the Third Ventricle: Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Suprasellar and third ventricle cavernous malformations (CMs) are uncommon. Conventional approaches such as interhemispheric and translamina terminalis approaches are often used to resect these lesions. Here we demonstrate the use of the endoscopic endonasal approach for a third ventricle CM. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 31-year-old man presented with progressive symptoms of headache and visual disturbance as well as short-term memory deficit over a 6-month period. Neurologic examination revealed bitemporal hemianopsia. Radiologic images showed a suprasellar lesion extending into the third ventricle as well as obstructive hydrocephalus. The patient was operated on using an endoscopic endonasal approach and histopathology revealed a diagnosis of CM. Transient diabetes insipidus and adrenal insufficiency were reported postoperatively. CONCLUSION: This report demonstrates safe resection of a third ventricle CM via the endonasal route.

Outcome of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury at KSMC: Functional Outcomes of ICP Monitor Insertion-Two Years' Experience.

PURPOSE: To evaluate functional outcomes of severe traumatic brain injuries after insertion of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitor at King Saud Medical City (KSMC) and their correlation to each other. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective observational study for all adult patients (age >18 years) who were diagnosed with severe head injury and underwent ICP insertion at KSMC. Patients diagnosed between 2017 and 2019 were included. Data for measured outcomes, Glasgow outcome scale (GOS), Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) and length of stay (LOS) and prognostic factors, data like: age, gender and primary Glasgow coma score (GCS) was obtained from patients' files and direct communication with patients or their caregivers. We also compared patients who underwent ICP monitoring alone with those who underwent ICP with decompressive craniectomy (DC). Follow-up period ranged from 6-24 months. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients were included in this cohort study. Outcome measurements for patients with decompression and ICP were lower than those with ICP alone. KPS and GOS showed strong correlation (p<0.01) in whole cohort and in both subgroups (ICP alone and ICP with DC). KPS showed significant correlation with length of stay (p=0.026). CONCLUSION: ICP monitoring is valid tool in management of severely head injured patients. Patients who underwent DC had a worse outcome. KPS can be used as alternative tool to measure functional outcome in severe traumatic brain injury.

How Reliable Is the Intraoperative Computed Tomography Angiography in Assessing Complete Surgical Resection of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations?

BACKGROUND: Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is still considered the gold standard test to evaluate arteriovenous malformation's (AVM) residual after microsurgical resection. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and reliability of intraoperative computed tomography angiography (iCTA) as an immediate method of evaluating the surgical results of AVM resection. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review for all cases of cerebral AVMs at our institute from January 2015 to April 2020 who underwent surgical resection of cerebral AVM and had iCTA. All included patients underwent a postoperative DSA, and the results were compared with iCTA. RESULTS: Twenty-eight cases were included. All cases showed complete resection (100%) in the iCTA, and the results were consistent with the postoperative DSA results. The sensitivity of iCTA was 100%. The added operative time ranged from 25 to 30 min. There were no complications related to the use of iCTA. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative assessment of AVMs surgical results with an iCTA is safe and reliable. The sensitivity of iCTA following AVM resection merits further investigations.

Primary Intracranial Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma: Two Case Reports and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) is a rare, fibrohistiocytic, soft-tissue neoplasm. Intracranial AFH is extremely rare. Here we present 2 pediatric cases of intracranial AFH and perform a literature review on this disease entity. CASE DESCRIPTION: We present 2 cases. The first case is a 10-year-old boy who presented with seizures and hemiparesis. The second case is an 11-year-old girl who presented with 2-year history of seizures. Radiologic images demonstrated right frontal lesions in both patients. Complete surgical resection was achieved. Histopathological findings established the diagnosis of intracranial AFH confirmed with fluorescence in situ hybridization and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing that demonstrated EWSR1 gene rearrangement in both cases. CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-two cases of intracranial AFH have been previously documented, with the majority of lesions located in the frontal lobe. Most cases occurred in adolescents and young adults, with a slight female predilection. Headaches and seizures constituted the most common clinical presentation. Complete surgical resection remains the standard of care in the management of this pathology.